UNC School of MedicineExpands to Charlotte

A major highlight for educational programming during 2010 was Carolinas Medical Center's designation as the “Charlotte Campus” of the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

The goal of this initiative is to address several issues, including a looming physician shortage in North Carolina that is expected to be particularly acute in rural areas.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), virtually every state in the country will likely experience an acute shortage of physicians in the not-too-distant future. AAMC's projections originally pointed to a national shortage of about 40,000 doctors nationally by 2015. However, current estimates place that number at closer to 60,000, as a result of federal legislation that is expected to put millions of newly insured individuals in the market for healthcare services in coming years.

Dr. William Roper, Dean of the UNC School of Medicine, said the creation of regional campuses “is part of a strategy to not only increase the number of physicians overall, but to encourage graduates to practice in small towns and rural areas.”